The Secret of Hollyfield House, Jude Bayton [books for 20 year olds txt] 📗

House was filled with tables laden with pastries, fruits, ales, and all manner of delicacies. A maypole stood in the centre of the lawn, and a small group of musicians entertained the guests. There would be a dance after dusk. It was a wonderful gesture from the LaVelles and an excellent tonic for a village still healing from the tragedies of the past three months.

Dominic sent Billy off in search of cake and then asked if I would walk with him down to the water. It was not my first time back to the boathouse since my run-in with Evergreen. I had thought it wise to conquer that fear right away. Evergreen had made such a devastating impact on so many lives over the spring and early summer. I was loath to give her any power going forward. My future was to be my own.

We strolled down to the shore and then away from the boathouse until we came across a small bench. Without speaking, we both sat down, and a few seconds passed before Dominic broke the silence.

“Well, Jilly. Are you ready to start this new chapter of your life?” He referred to my uncle marrying Mrs Stackpoole.

I sighed. “Though it will be different, yes, I am ready. So much has changed since I moved here. It seems I have gained many relatives all at once.” I thought for a moment.

“Dominic, accepting Victor as my father is still challenging, and I wonder if I shall ever grow used to the idea of it?” My relationship with Victor in his new parental role was yet in its infancy. Victor was slowly coming to terms with the fact that he had been friends with my Uncle Jasper and somehow never realised their true connection. This was easily explained, for Uncle Jasper was my mother’s uncle, and they did not share the same surname. Not to mention that when Victor had stayed in Devon many years earlier, my uncle had long been gone from the county.

“You know, Victor really wants you to live at Hollyfield House,” said Dominic. “He has mentioned it to me on more than one occasion.”

I shook my head. “I can never do that. It is not my home, nor will it ever be.” And that was the truth. For in my heart, dear Thom Farraday would always be my true father. For he had nurtured me, cared for me and loved my mother with all his heart.

But my living arrangements were still unsettled. Uncle Jasper had insisted I would always have a place with him. He reminded me daily that I should take my time to get used to the new arrangement with Mrs Stackpoole, who I now called ‘Aunt Pru’, and my developing relationship with Victor. It was the right solution for now—at least until I knew what I wanted to do with the rest of my life.

Dominic chuckled. “Just think, Jilly. If I had been more forward with you, I would have guessed your true identity much sooner.”

He was right. Had Dominic ever seen me in my undergarments, he would have immediately recognised on me, the very same birthmark his brother Billy had on his chest. Apparently, Perry bore the same dominant marking as well. No wonder Evergreen had gaped at me when I tried on her gown prior to the Mountjoys’ dinner party. I had sealed my own fate without even knowing it.

“’Tis strange to gain a father, and two half-brothers at my age,” I remarked. I acknowledged Perry and Billy, but would never own Evergreen as a sister, not after what she had done.

“I do miss seeing Perry and Marik,” Dominic said. “Though I know their life will be far better in Florence. At least there, they will not be persecuted for loving one another.”

“Indeed. Perhaps one day they might even feel safe enough to come back and visit us,” I said wistfully.

Dominic put his arm around my shoulders and we both fell silent while lost in our own thoughts. The gentle sound of lake water lapping on the shore was calming, and faint threads of music wafted through the trees from the gardens.

I thought about my parents, and how much they would have liked Dominic, and Billy too. I thought of Victor—that he had lost a wife to mental illness and now a daughter as well. That his eldest son must live exiled in another country, while his youngest afflicted son could never join Victor in the family business. Which left Victor with me. It was ironic he would lose one daughter and gain another. How strange life could be—how fickle was destiny.

I was roused from my thoughts when Dominic raised a hand to gently cup my chin, turning my face towards his. His amber eyes burned into mine, and just looking at him took my breath away.

“You know, Jilly, the day I bumped into you at the Ambleside Post Office, I had a feeling you were going to be someone vital,” he said softly. “Though little did I know just how significant.”

I smiled.

His thumb brushed across my lips. “Thank you, Jillian Farraday. Thank you for coming into my life and staying there through all the turmoil. For keeping me from giving up and for saving my brother—our brother’s life. I can never repay you, not ever.” His eyes clouded with emotion. He took a deep breath. “Jilly, I am very much in love with you.”

Before I could respond, he bent his head to mine and kissed me. His lips were firm, yet tender. And the chaste yearning within me bloomed into a bud of passion, saturating each cell of my body until I was consumed with feeling, with love.

He ended the kiss and pulled back without moving too far away. I was powerless to speak. My mind still processed his declaration while my heart filled with longing.

“Jillian, there is one more favour I would request from you, though you have done so much for me already.”

I frowned. Then I saw him smile